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en2018 - VOA60Mon, 19 Mar 2018 11:18:45 -0400Pangea CMS – VOAUS Congress Weighs Next Steps in Gun Law DebateWhat comes next in the U.S. Congress to address gun violence, after thousands of students walked out of their classrooms to demand action in the wake of the Florida school massacre? As VOA's congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, it appears there is still no clear path forward as lawmakers consider gun laws and how to deal with school safety.https://www.voanews.com/a/us-congress-weighs-next-steps-gun-law-debate/4301198.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-congress-weighs-next-steps-gun-law-debate/4301198.htmlFri, 16 Mar 2018 02:02:00 -0400USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)Despite Widespread Pushback, Trump Finds Some Support for Tariff PlanU.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum has met criticism from his Republican allies in Congress, many of whom worry the measures could trigger a trade war that damages U.S. businesses. But the president does have supporters among some Senate Democrats from states where voters are concerned about the long-term loss of American manufacturing jobs.
“This welcome action is long overdue for shuttered steel plants across Ohio and steelworkers who live in fear that their jobs will be the next victims of Chinese cheating,” Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, said in a statement released after the plan was announced. “If we fail to stand up for steel jobs today, China will come after other jobs up and down the supply chain tomorrow.”
American labor unions have also broadly favored Trump’s proposed tariffs, saying they have been complaining for years that foreign countries frequently subsidize their own steel industries, putting American competitors at a disadvantage.
Economists have been mostly critical of the plan, saying that overall it will hurt American manufacturers, some of whom may be targeted by trading partners for retaliatory sanction. They argue that the benefits to steel and aluminum workers are outweighed by job losses among Americans in other industries.
Tariffs in focus in special election
A test of how much the issue is resonating with American voters comes next week, when voters in Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district, vote in a special election to fill a vacated seat.
Many voters are looking to the president to fulfill his campaign promise of protecting manufacturing jobs in America’s heartland.
The race for the seat left vacant by Rep. Tim Murphy’s sex scandal is coming down to the wire between Republican candidate Rick Saccone and Democrat Conor Lamb.
Saccone’s campaign endorsed Trump’s tariff plan in a statement, saying “If other countries aren’t playing by the rules and tariffs are needed to protect steel and aluminum jobs in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Rick would support those measures.”Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senator Bob Casey also voiced his support for the president’s plan in a Facebook statement Thursday.
“I commend the President for announcing his intent to take action to protect our steelworkers from countries, like China, that cheat on trade. I have repeatedly called on this and previous Administrations to aggressively enforce our trade laws. For years, foreign countries have been dumping steel into our markets and costing our workers their jobs and suppressing their wages,” he wrote.
But Trump’s plan to impose the new tariffs prompted White House Chief Economic Advisor Gary Cohn to resign Tuesday.
McConnell, Ryan concerned
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan also expressed their concerns to the president, urging him to target the tariffs against specific countries to avoid a potential trade war.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told cable news network CNBC Wednesday the administration is not seeking a trade war.
“We’re going to have very sensible relations with our allies,” said Ross. “We hope and we believe that at the end of the day, there will be a process of working with the other countries that are our friends.”
Trump dismissed concerns about a trade war during a joint press conference with the Swedish prime minister Tuesday.
“When we’re behind on every single country, trade wars aren’t so bad,” he told reporters. “In some cases we lose on trade plus we give them military where we’re subsidizing them tremendously. So, not only do we lose on trade, we lose on military.”
The administration is considering the new tariffs under a so-called “232 report.” It allows the president to impose trade quotes or tariffs if a probe finds imports threaten national security.
'National security'
“It’s about our economy,” Vice President Mike Pence said of the need to enact tariffs, during a February meeting with lawmakers. “It’s about our national security.”
A March 7 Politico/Morning Consult poll of 2,000 registered voters, found that 65 percent of Republicans support the president’s plan.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Wednesday the administration was still on pace to fully roll-out the tariffs at the end of this week.
https://www.voanews.com/a/despite-widespread-pushback-trump-finds-some-support-for-tariff-plan/4284756.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/despite-widespread-pushback-trump-finds-some-support-for-tariff-plan/4284756.htmlWed, 07 Mar 2018 16:05:52 -0500USAEconomyUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/despite-widespread-pushback-trump-finds-some-support-for-tariff-plan/4284756.html#commentsCongress Pushes Trump for “Targeted” TariffsCongressional Republicans urged President Trump Tuesday to take a more targeted approach to planned steel and aluminum tariffs that experts fear could start global trade wars. VOA’s Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from Capitol Hill on this unusual break between Republican lawmakers and the Republican White House.https://www.voanews.com/a/4283902.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/4283902.htmlWed, 07 Mar 2018 03:09:00 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)Trump Leads Tribute to Late Evangelist Billy GrahamThe U.S. Congress paid tribute to famed evangelist Rev. Billy Graham Wednesday with a memorial service as he lies in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. Graham, who died at 99 last week, was one of the leading spiritual voices of the 20th century and played a key role in bringing evangelical Christianity into mainstream American politics. As congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, Graham leaves behind a complicated legacy on women, gay rights and the role of religion in politics.https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-leads-tribute-to-evangelist-billy-graham/4275414.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-leads-tribute-to-evangelist-billy-graham/4275414.htmlThu, 01 Mar 2018 01:29:00 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)US House Has Next Try on Difficult Immigration DebateThe collapse of the U.S. Senate effort to find a legislative fix for millions of undocumented young people has thrown into question whether the U.S. Congress will be able to act at all on the contentious issue of immigration.
The Senate voted down even the possibility of debate on four separate immigration reform proposals on Thursday, dashing hopes for reform after decades of division in Congress.
Both Republicans and Democrats said President Donald Trump's criticism of a bi-partisan deal brokered at the last minute helped sink the measure. Meanwhile, a proposal modeled after Trump's four-point immigration plan emerged as the least popular, winning the votes of 39 senators.
DACA fail
The failure to secure a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million people eligible for DACA (Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals) followed months of negotiations between Capitol Hill and the White House.
With lawmakers out of session for the next ten days, time for securing a DACA fix is running out. Trump ended DACA benefits beginning March 5. While two courts have acted to extend the deadline, DACA beneficiaries could still be at risk of deportation unless Congress acts.
The blame game
"I think it's safe to say it's been a disappointing week. I kept my commitment to set aside an entire week for a broad, productive debate over DACA," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said shortly after votes Thursday. "But once again, when the hour came to make law, instead of just making political points, our friends across the aisle were either unable or unwilling to get something done."
McConnell's limitation on debate gives Congressional Republicans the upper-hand politically in a tough mid-term election year.
"That really advantages Republicans who either don't want to provide relief for DACA recipients or only want to do so in conjunction with other immigration policy changes that Democrats are not willing to accept," Brookings Institution fellow Molly Reynolds told VOA.
The move also benefits the White House, which said Thursday Senate Democrats failed to take immigration reform and homeland security seriously.
"They filibustered a proposal with an extremely generous path to citizenship because it also contained reforms that secured our border and secured our immigration system," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "The Grassley bill was a compromise bill — as demonstrated by the fact that some conservatives opposed its very generous DACA provisions. Yet, the Schumer Democrats chose to filibuster it because they are held hostage by the radical left in their party, which opposes any immigration control at all."
But the blame wasn't confined to one side of the aisle.
Senate Democrats said the president's threat to veto the bipartisan deal made it too politically risky to back it.
"There is no question the American people will blame President Trump and no one else for the failure to protect Dreamers," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday.
In a last-minute plea to Trump, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged the White House to provide leadership on an issue that has proved impossible for past U.S. presidents.
"Mr. President, listen to the American people and lead us in Congress and all will turn out well," Graham said Thursday. "If you turn this agenda over to the most extreme people on this issue, you're going to fail like Obama and Bush."
The failed bipartisan plan would have provided a ten to twelve year pathway to citizenship for DACA-eligible immigrants along with $25 billion in funding for border security.
Next step: the U.S. House?
In the U.S. House, Speaker Ryan spent the week marshalling votes for a conservative immigration bill. Like the Grassley proposal that failed in the U.S. Senate, the Goodlatte bill is modeled on the four-point White House immigration plan.
Speaker Ryan made a promise to House conservatives in January to help bring the bill to the floor in return for their votes on a funding bill to keep the U.S. government open.
"It confronts the DACA issue. This is an issue that Barack Obama put on the door steps of America when he created DACA, a program that really had no path for anybody," said House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said Wednesday.
"It just said — it encouraged a lot of people to come to our country and said 'somebody else is going to have to deal with it'. We're finally dealing with it. President Trump laid out the pillars of what he wants to see in a bill that can get to his desk that he can sign."
But it faces limited chances of passing the House.
"Ryan is trying to keep the right flank of his conference happy with the knowledge that this bill would be very unlikely to pass the Senate, even if it did pass the House," Reynolds said.
House Democrats have argued for a strategy similar to the one employed in the Senate, where all proposals are brought up for a vote.
"Put all the pieces of legislation, put the DREAM Act on the floor, put the Hurd-Agular Bill on the floor, put Goodlatte on the floor and I guarantee you — play queen of the hill. Which bill gets the most votes? It's not going to be the Goodlatte bill. It's going to be one of the bipartisan bills," said Rep. Linda Sanchez said Wednesday.
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-house-has-next-try-difficult-immigration-debate/4257940.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-house-has-next-try-difficult-immigration-debate/4257940.htmlFri, 16 Feb 2018 15:30:15 -0500USAImmigrationwebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/us-house-has-next-try-difficult-immigration-debate/4257940.html#commentsUS Senate Rejects Immigration Reform ProposalsThe U.S. Senate rejected four immigration reform proposals Thursday, after lawmakers spent a week weighing competing plans addressing the protection of young undocumented immigrants, increased funding for border security and changing the rules for family-based immigration. VOA's Congressional reporter Katherine Gypson has more on the political fallout from Capitol Hill.https://www.voanews.com/a/us-senate-rejects-immigration-reform-proposals/4257191.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-senate-rejects-immigration-reform-proposals/4257191.htmlFri, 16 Feb 2018 01:34:00 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)US Senate Stalled on Immigration SolutionThe US Senate began debate on a multitude of immigration proposals Wednesday but appeared no closer to a solution for the 1.8 million young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. With a March 5 deadline for those DACA recipients and a limited pledge to keep debate open from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, time appears to be running out. VOA's Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from Capitol Hill.https://www.voanews.com/a/us-senate-stalled-immigration-solution/4255528.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-senate-stalled-immigration-solution/4255528.htmlThu, 15 Feb 2018 05:43:00 -0500US PoliticsImmigrationwebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)Congress Reaches Budget Compromise, But No Deal Yet on 'Dreamers'The U.S. Congress has approved spending bill and two year budget agreement which has been signed by President Donald Trump, ending a brief government shutdown. The deal ended weeks of uncertainty as well as Democratic hopes of linking passage of the budget with a solution for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. VOA congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on the immigration fight ahead on Capitol Hill.https://www.voanews.com/a/congress-budget-dreamers/4246765.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/congress-budget-dreamers/4246765.htmlFri, 09 Feb 2018 11:56:00 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/congress-budget-dreamers/4246765.html#commentsHundreds of Immigrant Youth Continue to Fight for a DACA Solution Undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children demonstrated in the halls of Congress Wednesday because of a Senate budget agreement that excluded them.
The Senate’s two-year budget deal kicked the immigration debate into next week, leaving the immigrants, known as Dreamers, in continued limbo.
Before their protests on Capitol Hill, hundreds of Dreamers convened at the Lutheran Church of Reformation in Northeast, Washington, where they vowed to fight on.
“We know that we can’t step back. It’s not an option for any of us,” Berenice Davila, a 19-year-old Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient from Texas, told VOA.
​Obama administration policy
DACA is an Obama administration policy established in 2012 that deferred deportation actions for some undocumented people who entered the U.S. as minors. The program granted them work permits for renewable two-year periods. The Trump administration rescinded the policy in 2017, creating a March 5 deadline for protections from deportation to end.
Davila was one of the voices during the National Day of Action for a Clean Dream Act that brought together more than 10 organizations from Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington.
“All we ask is a permanent solution that does not harm anyone else in our community,” Davila said.
Her family, who overstayed their visas a “few years ago,” moved from Mexico when Davila was 3 years old.
“DACA absolutely changed everything about my life,” she said. “Without [DACA], I wouldn’t be able to enroll for dual credit classes (classes that earn high school and college credits) that I was completely qualified for.”
Next week for immigration
Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pledged to bring immigration up for debate soon.
With lawmakers’ attention focused on high-stakes negotiations securing a two-year spending agreement, debates on the future of DACA recipients must wait until next week.
“Our upcoming debate on DACA, border security and other issues will be a process that is fair to all sides,” McConnell said.
The White House has rejected a number of potential bipartisan Senate bills, while proposing its own four-point plan that provides a citizenship pathway for 1.8 million Dreamers in return for border security funding and an end to the diversity visa lottery and family reunification visa programs.
“We are hopeful that we will make a deal with Congress. Our goal is to get something done,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Wednesday.
But any bill negotiated in the Senate is likely to face a tough road to passage in the U.S. House of Representatives, where there is no guarantee that legislation will be brought to the House floor.
“We’ll see what path that legislation takes,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday. She has threatened to withhold Democratic votes from any budget deal that does not include a DACA fix.
In an eight-hour, filibuster-style speech on the House floor Wednesday, Pelosi read the stories of Dreamers, hoping they would “move the speaker of the House to give us a vote.”
DACA recipients’ stories
Tasneem Al-michael, another DACA recipient who was brought to the U.S. from Brunei when he was 9 months old, said he didn’t learn of his immigration status until he was 16.
“My high school was trying to send me on a trip to go perform in Carnegie Hall, and my parents were afraid that if I had gotten in a plane, I would be deported,” he said.
At 18, Al-michael said it is “absolutely untrue” Dreamers are “too afraid” or “lazy,” referring to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly’s recent critical remarks.
“I work two jobs. I also volunteer in these organizations, and I do whatever I can to help benefit my community,” Al-michael said. “We all go the extra mile just to prove how much we would like to give to the United States.”
Ryan sets conditions
House Speaker Paul Ryan said he will only bring an immigration bill to the floor on the condition it can be signed into law by Trump. But the president’s immigration plan faces difficulties from both sides of the aisle.
House conservatives reject the citizenship pathway for Dreamers, calling it amnesty that encourages law-breakers, while House Democrats decry Trump’s plans to curtail family-based immigration and end the diversity visa lottery.
“Either the president does not understand the immigration laws he’s trying to change, or he is intentionally misrepresenting them to the public in order to pass his own agenda,” Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu said Tuesday.
https://www.voanews.com/a/hundreds-of-immigrant-youth-fight-for-daca-solution/4244087.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/hundreds-of-immigrant-youth-fight-for-daca-solution/4244087.htmlWed, 07 Feb 2018 20:49:30 -0500USAImmigrationImmigrationwebdesk@voanews.com (Aline Barros, Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/hundreds-of-immigrant-youth-fight-for-daca-solution/4244087.html#commentsUncertainty Dominates White House, Hill Immigration NegotiationsThe U.S. Congress appeared no closer to finding a way forward on an immigration deal securing the status of 1.8 million undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children Tuesday, even as leaders negotiated an end to the long-running budget stalemate. VOA’s Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on an unpredictable day in Washington.https://www.voanews.com/a/white-house-hill-immigration/4243154.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/white-house-hill-immigration/4243154.htmlWed, 07 Feb 2018 13:10:00 -0500USAwebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/white-house-hill-immigration/4243154.html#commentsUncertainty Dominates White House, Hill Immigration NegotiationsThe U.S. Congress appeared no closer to finding a way forward on an immigration deal securing the status of 1.8 million undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children Tuesday, even as leaders negotiated an end to the long-running budget stalemate. VOA’s Congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on an unpredictable day in Washington.https://www.voanews.com/a/4242525.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/4242525.htmlWed, 07 Feb 2018 03:23:00 -0500USAUS PoliticsImmigrationwebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)Democrats Hoping to Release Rebuttal to Republicans' Russia MemoWhite House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the White House has received a Democratic rebuttal to a Republican memo alleging FBI abuses of power during a probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and will follow the same process that led to the public release of the Republican document.
President Donald Trump will have to decide within days whether to declassify the Democratic memo.
In a unanimous bi-partisan vote Monday, members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence agreed to release the report showing a dissenting view of the approach used to obtain a government surveillance warrant on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign advisor accused of contacts with Russia.
The Republican memo cleared the same approval process last Friday, sparking a furious debate across Washington over the role of partisan politics in the nation’s top law enforcement agency.
"We think this will help inform the public of the many distortions and inaccuracies in the majority memo," ranking House Intelligence Committee Democrat Adam Schiff told reporters shortly after the vote. "We want to make sure the White House does not redact our memo for political purposes and obviously that’s a huge concern."
Trump claims the Republican memo crafted by House Intelligence chairman Devin Nunes and others "totally vindicates" him of wrongdoing in the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the election and whether he obstructed justice in trying to limit the probe.
In a White House press gaggle Monday, Raj Shah said the president's personal attorneys have called for a second special counsel to provide further review of the FBI's handling of the investigation into Russian interference of the 2016 presidential election.
Democrats said the contents of the four-page so-called "Nunes memo," are nothing but partisan politics.
"It’s the latest distraction concocted by Republicans to protect a president of their party from the conclusions from an independent – a truly independent investigation," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Monday. "At least the American people can now see the Nunes memo for what it truly is – an impotent document of GOP talking points."
Twitter back-and-forth
In a Twitter remark Monday, Trump assailed the top Democrat on the panel, saying Schiff "is desperate to run for higher office."
Trump claimed Schiff "is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there" with former FBI director James Comey, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan and former director of National Intelligence James Clapper —all of whom Trump has feuded with over national security issues.
Schiff responded on Twitter, saying, "Mr. President, I see you’ve had a busy morning of 'Executive Time.' Instead of tweeting false smears, the American people would appreciate it if you turned off the TV and helped solve the funding crisis, protected Dreamers or ... really anything else."
Meanwhile, Trump praised Nunes, saying, "Representative Devin Nunes, a man of tremendous courage and grit, may someday be recognized as a Great American Hero for what he has exposed and what he has had to endure!"
The Nunes memo concluded the FBI relied excessively on opposition research funded by Democrats in a dossier compiled by a former British spy, Christopher Steele, as it sought approval from a U.S. surveillance court in October 2016 to monitor Page and his links to Russia.
But the memo also noted that the FBI investigation that eventually led to Mueller's probe started months earlier — in July 2016 — when agents began looking into contacts between another Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, and Russian operatives. Papadopoulos, as part of Mueller's probe, has pleaded guilty to lying to investigators about his Russian contacts and, pending his sentencing, is cooperating with Mueller's investigation.
Democratic lawmakers opposed to Friday's release of the memo contend that the Republican-approved statement "cherry-picks" information and overstates the importance of the Steele dossier in the FBI's effort to win approval from the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court for the monitoring of Page's activities.
The FBI also opposed release of the memo, saying it had "grave concerns" about its accuracy because of omissions concerning its request to the surveillance court to monitor Page. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the Mueller investigation, also opposed its release.
Michael Bowman contributed to this report
https://www.voanews.com/a/democrats-hoping-to-release-rebuttal-to-republicans-russia-memo/4240979.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/democrats-hoping-to-release-rebuttal-to-republicans-russia-memo/4240979.htmlTue, 06 Feb 2018 07:32:01 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/democrats-hoping-to-release-rebuttal-to-republicans-russia-memo/4240979.html#commentsAnother Deadline, But No Sign of an Immigration DealU.S. lawmakers are struggling to find common ground on one of the nation’s toughest political debates and a key issue that led to the most recent government shutdown: immigration policy.
President Donald Trump told Congress it is time to take U.S. immigration policy into the 21st century during his first State of the Union address on Tuesday. But his plan to provide funding for border security and secure a path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants is drawing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
The chances that Trump can bring both sides together are dwindling, and failure to do so means Congress could face another government shutdown or be forced to pass another short-term funding bill to buy more time to help the so-called Dreamers — young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
WATCH: Another Deadline, But No Sign of an Immigration Deal
Plan for Dreamers
Trump rescinded the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program affecting about 800,000 Dreamers last year and gave Congress until March 5 to pass legislation to provide similar protections.
The U.S. Congress is considering a short-term measure to extend government funding beyond Feb. 9, giving them more time to come up with a solution for DACA recipients.
As the deadline approaches, Democrats and Republicans remain deeply divided on key issues, and both sides object to parts of the immigration framework the White House has put forth.
The Trump administration’s plan includes four pillars: a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers; funding for border security, including money to build portions of a wall; an end to family-based immigration and an end to the diversity visa lottery system.
“My duty, and the sacred duty of every elected official in this chamber, is to defend Americans, to protect their safety, their families, their communities, and their right to the American Dream. Because Americans are dreamers, too,” Trump said during his nationally televised speech.
Democrats pushed back in their response to Trump’s address, saying they would stand by Dreamers.
“To all the Dreamers watching tonight, let me be clear: You are a part of our story. We will fight for you. We will not walk away,” Rep. Joe Kennedy said in English and in Spanish.
But conservative members of Trump’s own party are criticizing his proposal to provide Dreamers with a pathway to citizenship.
“The rule of law is not negotiable,” Rep. Steve King, a Republican from Iowa, told VOA. “Amnesty is a pardon for immigration law breakers coupled with a reward for the objective of their crime.”
King is part of a conservative group of lawmakers who stand apart from more moderate Republicans who want to see a fix for DACA recipients.
Diversity visa lottery and family-based migration
But it appears the Democrats’ greatest objection to the White House plan is over Trump’s proposal to cut the diversity visa lottery and family-based immigration programs. The Trump administration argues the systems are outmoded and leave the nation vulnerable to terrorist infiltration.
Democratic lawmakers argue the programs reflect American values.
“The United States became the strongest and most powerful nation on Earth with these immigration policies in place. And part of the reason why you allow people to petition to have their family members with them is because those family members being close to them makes it more likely that they’re going to succeed and less likely that they’re actually going to rely on the government for help.” Rep. Joaquin Castro told VOA on Tuesday.
Some moderate Republicans expressed potential for compromise.
Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona, told VOA that “1.8 million on a path to citizenship, that’s a good positive.”
“Border security is going to need to be there. If you go diversity visa, get rid of that, if you talk about chain migration, those broaden the discussion and make it more difficult to get a deal,” Flake added.
The wall and border security
Democrats will fight their biggest battles on these fronts, not on the president’s border wall, which he once claimed would be paid for by Mexico.
“Mexico is not going to pay for the wall, let’s be direct about that. So the taxpayers of this country are going to pay for border security and they’re going to be anxious to make sure that we spend our money wisely,” Sen. Ben Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland, told VOA.
​Negotiation obstacles
Both sides are accusing the other of unpredictability.
“They talk a good game with DACA, but they don’t produce,” Trump told congressional Republicans at their annual retreat Thursday. He tweeted earlier Thursday that Democrats “Resist, Blame, Complain and Obstruct,” while time runs out for DACA recipients.
But Democrats say Trump has proved to be an unreliable negotiator.
“Over and over again, we listen to what he says one night and see a tweet in the morning that’s somewhat different,” Cardin told VOA. “But if the president lets us do our work in the United States Senate, I believe we can come up with a bipartisan proposal.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/immigration-deal-deadline/4235927.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/immigration-deal-deadline/4235927.htmlFri, 02 Feb 2018 05:55:55 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/immigration-deal-deadline/4235927.html#commentsAnother Deadline, But No Sign of an Immigration DealPresident Donald Trump told Congress it's time to take U.S. immigration policy into the 21st century in his first State of the Union address Tuesday. But his four-pillar plan, which includes border wall funding and a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million young undocumented immigrants, is drawing criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on Trump's odds of securing a deal when Congress returns to Washington next week.https://www.voanews.com/a/another-deadline-but-no-sign-of-immigration-deal/4235329.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/another-deadline-but-no-sign-of-immigration-deal/4235329.htmlFri, 02 Feb 2018 05:50:00 -0500USAUS PoliticsImmigrationwebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)Tough Road Ahead for Trump Immigration PlanPresident Trump’s immigration framework proposing a pathway to citizenship for almost 2 million undocumented immigrants faces a tough road ahead on Capitol Hill. A week after an impasse over immigration policy briefly shut down the U.S. government - and with only a few working days left before another possible shutdown - congressional leaders of both parties are running out of time to make a deal. VOA’s House correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.https://www.voanews.com/a/4230828.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/4230828.htmlTue, 30 Jan 2018 02:29:00 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)New Generation of US Women Determined to Change Face of PoliticsAcross the United States, the #MeToo movement and Women’s marches are changing the nation's political debate and inspiring record numbers of women to run for political office in this year’s crucial mid-term elections. VOA’s House Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports on a new generation of female candidates, bringing a fresh approach to the challenges of breaking the glass ceiling.https://www.voanews.com/a/new-generation-of-us-women-determined-to-change-face-of-politics/4225887.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/new-generation-of-us-women-determined-to-change-face-of-politics/4225887.htmlThu, 25 Jan 2018 21:40:00 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)Immigration Promise Breaks Congressional Deadlock, Reopens GovernmentA partial U.S. government shutdown ended Monday with Senate Democrats providing enough votes to restart federal funding for the next few weeks in return for a promise by the Republican leadership to bring an immigration bill up for a vote by February 8. VOA House correspondent Katherine Gypson looks at how the brief shutdown sets up an even tougher fight ahead on Capitol Hill.https://www.voanews.com/a/4219865.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/4219865.htmlTue, 23 Jan 2018 02:58:00 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)Budget Bickering Shuts Down Parts of US Government; Vote Set for MondayBlaming each other for the political deadlock, Republican and Democratic lawmakers closed the first day of a partial shutdown of the U.S. government with few signs of agreement on a spending bill tangled in a fight over immigration.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday night he had scheduled a vote for 1 a.m. Monday on a new spending bill that would keep the government open until Feb. 8. The vote puts pressure on Senate Democrats to reach an agreement or risk voting down a government spending bill for the second time.
Spending authority expired at midnight Washington time Friday, triggering a halt of non-essential functions.
Lawmakers are at odds over a range of defense spending and immigration issues, including a legislative fix for nearly 800,000 undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children.
Senators resumed debate Saturday afternoon on a temporary spending bill that would fund the government through Feb. 8. Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, however, objects to the continuing series of temporary spending bills, saying it “simply kicks the can down the road and fails to get the job done for the American people.”​
'Looks like a mess'
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Tweeted Saturday afternoon, “I know it looks like a mess — but there are many senators of good will who want to solve the problem.” Graham thanked Democratic Senators “commitment to hard work and finding solutions last night.”
Senators marked the first day of the shutdown shuttling back and forth among each others’ offices in the hopes of hammering out a deal.
The U.S. House of Representatives stayed in session Saturday, voting on a rule that would allow the body to quickly consider any newly negotiated legislation sent over from the Senate. The House was set to return to work Sunday in the event the Senate reached a compromise.
“The President will not negotiate on immigration reform until Democrats stop playing games and reopen the government,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Saturday afternoon.
The White House and Congressional Republicans blamed Democrats for what it called the “Schumer Shutdown,” accusing legislators of valuing illegal immigrants ahead of lawful Americans.
“Mr. Schumer is going to have to up his game a little bit and be a little bit more honest with the president of the United States if we’re going to see progress on that front,” OMB Director Mick Mulvaney said in a White House briefing Saturday afternoon.
Federal agencies, meanwhile, prepared to idle employees and halt major portions of their operations.
Democrats backed three previous short-term spending extensions late last year while bipartisan negotiations went forward on immigration and spending priorities. Last week, Trump rejected a bipartisan Senate immigration proposal, throwing congressional negotiations into disarray.
The U.S. government has shut down before, including in 2013, in a partisan deadlock over health care policy and funding. The shutdown lasted 16 days and furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
What stops and what continues during a federal shutdown varies, but federal research projects could be stalled, national parks closed, tax refunds delayed, processing of veterans’ disability applications delayed, and federal nutrition programs suspended, as was the case in 2013.
https://www.voanews.com/a/debate-resumes-amid-united-states-government-shutdown/4216831.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/debate-resumes-amid-united-states-government-shutdown/4216831.htmlSat, 20 Jan 2018 16:48:14 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/debate-resumes-amid-united-states-government-shutdown/4216831.html#commentsPartial US Government Shutdown BeginsDemocrats and Republicans showed few signs of agreement Saturday, just hours after a funding bill was blocked in the Senate beginning a partial shutdown of the U.S. government. Spending authority expired at midnight Washington time, triggering a halt of non-essential functions.
Lawmakers are at odds over a range of defense spending and immigration issues, including a legislative fix for nearly 800,000 undocumented young people brought to the U.S. as children.
Senators resumed debate Saturday afternoon on a temporary spending bill that would fund the government through February 8. Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, however, objects to the continuing series of temporary spending bills, saying it "simply kicks the can down the road and fails to get the job done for the American people."
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Tweeted Saturday afternoon, “I know it looks like a mess — but there are many senators of good will who want to solve the problem.” Graham thanked Democratic Senators “commitment to hard work and finding solutions last night.”
The U.S. House of Representatives stayed in session Saturday in the event the Senate negotiated a new continuing resolution that would require another vote. The bill would then head back to the Senate for a vote.
But neither side appeared to be in agreement on the terms for negotiating a new resolution.
“The President will not negotiate on immigration reform until Democrats stop playing games and reopen the government,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Saturday afternoon.
Trading blame
Earlier Saturday, the White House blamed Democrats for what it called the "Schumer Shutdown," accusing legislators of valuing illegal immigrants ahead of lawful Americans.
President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday morning "Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead."
Members of the House Republican leadership echoed the White House statement.
House Republican Speaker Paul Ryan said the Democrats would "do anything to appease their base, even shut down the federal government." He described the shutdown as a "dangerous political ploy" and "reckless."
But Democrats said the shutdown was the result of reckless behavior on the part of the president and Congressional Republican leadership.
“Happy anniversary, Mr. President. Your wish came true,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters Saturday morning. “You won the shutdown. The shutdown is all yours.”
The first day of the shutdown comes on the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s inauguration. Many Congressional Democrats noted the president’s earlier Tweet calling for a “good shutdown” and said the president had stalled bipartisan talks on immigration reform.
“If you’re not for the Graham-Durbin proposal then tell me what you are for — put it in black and white. Because Goodlatte is a non-starter,” Rep. Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat from Illinois said of an immigration bill introduced by House Conservatives “They want to go out and pick everyone of the 11 million that are undocumented today, whether they present a risk to America or not.”
Earlier, lawmakers of both parties pointed fingers, as did as the president, who warned of repercussions from a shutdown and argued Democrats voted against funding the government as a political stunt to distract attention from the president’s economic accomplishments.
“Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border,” Trump tweeted. “Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy.”
Democrat Tim Kaine countered that no one in his caucus “wants the government to shut down,” then quoted from a Trump tweet last year in which the president said America “needs a good ‘shutdown’”.
“There’s only one person that has talked about a shutdown with glee and with interest that it happen, and that’s the president,” Kaine said.
Agencies idling
Federal agencies, meanwhile, prepared to idle employees and halt major portions of their operations.
A meeting earlier Friday between Trump and the Senate’s top Democrat, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, failed to yield a breakthrough.
Democrats then followed through on pledges to vote down a Republican-crafted bill that would have funded the federal government through mid-February. The House of Representatives approved the bill Thursday with Republican-only votes.
Senate Democrats withheld support to press demands for congressional action on immigration and spending priorities, while insisting on an end to month-to-month government funding.
Republicans accused their Democratic colleagues of misplaced priorities.
“Millions of people, including our military, law enforcement and emergency personnel could lose their paycheck if Democrats follow through on their threat,” Senator John Cornyn of Texas said. “The time to stop playing games is now. We urge them [Democrats], we implore them: do not shut down the government.”
Trump and congressional Republicans repeatedly asserted that Democrats will be to blame if non-essential government operations come to a halt, a charge Democrats rejected.
“When you look across the spectrum of the three branches of government – the Republicans are in control,” Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, said.
Democrats backed three previous short-term spending extensions late last year while bipartisan negotiations went forward on immigration and spending priorities. Last week, Trump rejected a bipartisan Senate immigration proposal, throwing congressional negotiations into disarray.
The U.S. government has shut down before, including in 2013, in a partisan deadlock over health care policy and funding. The shutdown lasted 16 days and furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
What stops and what continues during a federal shutdown varies, but federal research projects could be stalled, national parks closed, tax refunds delayed, processing of veterans' disability applications delayed, and federal nutrition programs suspended, as was the case in 2013.
https://www.voanews.com/a/partial-government-shutdown/4216417.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/partial-government-shutdown/4216417.htmlSat, 20 Jan 2018 00:20:31 -0500USAUS Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/partial-government-shutdown/4216417.html#commentsHouse Passes Spending Measure to Avert Shutdown; Senate Debate Resumes FridayU.S. senators adjourned late Thursday without voting on a bill to fund the government beyond Friday.
Senators will resume debate Friday morning on a bill passed by the House late Thursday on a vote of 230-197.
Lawmakers had two options: Agree to a one month, temporary spending measure, known on Capitol Hill as a continuing resolution (CR), or shut down the government until funding could be agreed on.
WATCH: Drive to Fund US Government Hits Immigration Speed Bump
Democrats withheld support for the bill, forcing negotiations between House Speaker Paul Ryan and the conservative House Freedom Caucus to ensure the bill would pass. House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows secured commitments for future votes on military funding and an immigration bill favored by conservatives.
“They’re going to whip it and help us get to 218,” House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Raul Labrador said of leadership’s commitments to bring his immigration bill, co-sponsored with House Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte, up for a vote. The bill includes a permanent legislative solution for the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
DACA recipients
In September, President Donald Trump ordered an end to the Obama administration program that shielded young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
Congressional Democrats have pushed for the short-term spending bill to include a fix for the 800,000 DACA recipients, who will lose their protection from deportation March 5, unless Congress acts.
The temporary measure faces a tough road to passage in the Senate, where Republicans’ vote margins are much narrower. If the temporary measure is approved, lawmakers will use the next month to negotiate a spending package to cover the rest of fiscal 2018, which ends Sept. 30.
“Senator (Chuck) Schumer, do not shut down the government,” Speaker Ryan said to reporters after the bill passed, referring to the Senate minority leader. “We need to make sure our men and women in uniform get the resources they need so they don’t get the rug pulled out from under them.”
Eleven House Republicans voted against the spending bill, including Florida Representatives Carlos Curbleo and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who vowed to vote against any legislation that did not include action for DACA recipients.
A third issue that is part of the legislation is children’s insurance. Trump objected to a measure that would extend children’s health insurance for the next six years, which had largely Democratic support but was being supported by some Republicans as a means of getting the bill passed.
The spending package being voted on did not include enough military spending to please some Republicans, it had no protections for the Dreamers and its children’s insurance provisions were less than what Democrats wanted.
Senate action
After passage in the House, the Senate could hold its vote on the bill Friday.
But again, its passage is uncertain. Two Republicans have announced they will not support the measure, meaning the measure needs support from at least 11 Democrats to reach the 60 votes required to pass.
If the Senate fails to approve a stopgap measure, the government shutdown would occur at midnight.
The U.S. government has shut down before. The last time was in 2013, in a deadlock over health care policy. The shutdown lasted 16 days and furloughed hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
What stops and what continues during a federal shutdown varies, but federal research projects could be stalled, national parks closed, tax refunds delayed, processing of veterans’ disability applications delayed, and federal nutrition programs suspended, as was the case in 2013.
The government has officially shut down 18 times since 1976, when the current federal budgeting process was instituted.
VOA's Michael Bowman on Capitol Hill contributed to this report.
https://www.voanews.com/a/clock-ticks-down-possible-united-states-government-shutdown/4214263.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/clock-ticks-down-possible-united-states-government-shutdown/4214263.htmlThu, 18 Jan 2018 18:04:43 -0500US Politicswebdesk@voanews.com (Katherine Gypson)https://www.voanews.com/a/clock-ticks-down-possible-united-states-government-shutdown/4214263.html#comments